Jay Z: After last summer's massive coheadlining stadium tour with Justin Timberlake, the hip-hop mogul returns to push two decades' worth of hits — more than enough to compensate for the lesser tracks from his underwhelming 2013 release, "Magna Carta … Holy Grail." 8 p.m. Thursday at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison; $32.50, $59.50, $99.50, $150 at ticketmaster.com

Darkside: The duo of Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington released one of last year's best albums, "Psychic," which created a psychedelic collage out of electronic and ambient music, rock, jazz and blues. 9 p.m. Jan. 17 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.; $19 and $21 at metrochicago.com

Neutral Milk Hotel: Jeff Mangum's recent return as a solo performer after more than a decade away from the music biz was cause for celebration among the increasing numbers of listeners who regard Neutral Milk Hotel's two '90s albums, "On Avery Island" and "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," as masterpieces. Now Mangum has reassembled his '90s band for Round 2. 8 p.m. Feb. 6-7 at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave.; $36 at jamusa.com

Pusha T: One half of the excellent Virginia hip-hop duo Clipse, Pusha T made his solo debut in 2013 with the raw rhythms and harsh poetry of "My Name is My Name." 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 with 2 Chainz at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.; $35, $39.99, $89.99 at ticketmaster.com

Justin Timberlake: After his 2013 tour with Jay Z, Timberlake will likely drill deeper into his two recent "20/20 Experience" albums. 8 p.m. Feb. 16-17 at the United Center; $49.50, $90, $175 at ticketmaster.com

Richard Thompson and Teddy Thompson: Following last year's explosive electric tours with his trio, Thompson strips back to a solo acoustic setting, where his deft style suggests three guitarists playing at once. He'll be joined by his son Teddy, who has forged a sturdy career of his own. 8 p.m. Feb. 24-26 at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St.; $48, $58, $68 at citywinery.com

Paul Simon and Sting: Two songwriters who between them have explored dozens of genres and styles pair up for this unlikely double bill. 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at the United Center; $45, $85, $150, $250 at ticketmaster.com

John Prine and Iris Dement: Prine, the erstwhile mailman from suburban Maywood, is a songwriting legend. A recent bout with cancer forced him to cancel tour dates in late 2013, but he's expected to be in good shape for this show. Dement has been Prine's duet partner in the past, and her pristine country warble and incisive songs make her an excellent match. 7:30 p.m. March 14 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $49.50, $65, $85 at jamusa.com

Warpaint: This month, Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg and Stella Mozgawa will release their self-titled second album, which includes production and mixing help from Flood and Nigel Godrich. It's sure to get plenty of attention in the wake of the quartet's much-praised 2010 debut, "The Fool." 9 p.m. March 28 at Metro; $21 at metrochicago.com

My toughest year-end job as a critic is narrowing down dozens of worthy albums to a mere 10. As always, I came down on the side of the music that revealed more with each listen. Here are the albums I prized the most in 2013. -- Greg Kot

And just like that, there’s only one day left of Lolla. Here’s what stood out to us from day 2. Best: The Tallest Man on Earth: Maybe it was just a right-mood, right-set situation, but boy this was the perfect mid-day act to take a breather, sit in the sun, and just chill and listen to and enjoy....

One day down! Here’s the best and worst we saw at Lolla on Friday, plus a few superlatives from day 1. Best: Anyone who knows me knows I was bound to pick Paul McCartney as my favorite act of the day. The Beatle came out and gave it his all with more than two hours of hits, tributes and jokes about...

What can you really say about Sir Paul McCartney, the former Beatle, pop music pioneer, worldwide cultural icon, and all-around great guy, that hasn't already been said? I mean, seriously. With the Beatles changing music for the better, becoming a pop culture institution and being "more popular...

Chicago's ban on plastic bags starts to take effect at many big stores Saturday, but an alderman who helped craft the law already is talking about changing it in order to thwart a few large retail chains that he says are trying to skirt the new rules.